Inspiring Story: Devendra Jhajharia

May 6, 2017

Blog by: Suryakant Tripathi

Devendra Jhajharia became India’s second gold medal winner at the Rio Paralympics after he broke his own world record with a throw of 63.7m in the men’s F46 Javelin Throw. It was a historic moment for the country as Devendra became the first Indian to win two individual Gold medals at the Paralympics/Olympics – the one-armed thrower had won the gold medal at the Athens Games in 2004.

Jhajharia, who already has a long list of achievements to his name, was born into a low-income family of Churu district in Rajasthan. At the age of eight, he lost his left hand after accidentally touching an electric wire while trying to climb a tree.

His success as a javelin thrower – made tougher against the backdrop of financial disabilities – is testament to his willpower and physical prowess. India’s flag-bearer at the 2016 paralympics, Jhajharia was awarded the Arjuna award in 2004 and the Padma Shri in 2012, becoming the first Paralympian to receive the honour. The story of how he overcame huge odds to emerge a winner is deeply inspiring and deserves to be made into a biopic.